Lawn Startup Sunday Raises Millions for Backyard Improvement

Coulter Lewis found the motivation to establish a lawn-care business during a routine shopping trip for lawn products. The entrepreneur, formerly a designer and co-founder of a food company, noted that the strong odor of pesticides and herbicides was difficult to overlook.

Lewis then started investigating more secure methods for nourishing his own yard. His investigations revealed he wasn't alone; a standard lawn in the United States receives five times the amount of pesticides per acre compared to the average industrial farm. This scarcity of choices in the marketplace prompted him to develop his own solution.

Established in 2019, Sunday is a direct-to-consumer business focused on providing customized, environmentally friendly lawn care to the roughly 90 million American homeowners with lawns. To this point, the company has treated over 10,000 acres of lawn.

“We’re offering agricultural technology for residential use,” Lewis explained. This is a concise way to describe the complex process of developing personalized lawn care plans. The company enlisted Frank Rossi, a Cornell PhD, as its chief science officer to spearhead the creation of its primary product, which relies on a combination of technology and scientific principles.

Sunday begins by obtaining a customer’s address and, utilizing this location data, determines the likely soil types present. Employing machine learning, satellite data, and property information, Sunday formulates a tailored plan with nutrients designed to address specific issues, such as varying grass health across different environmental conditions. The resulting product incorporates ingredients not commonly found in store-bought options, including seaweed extract and soy protein.

Each kit contains instructions, a pre-measured nutrient pouch for attachment to a hose for spraying, and a soil test. Although each kit is individually tailored, lawn-care products are subject to strict regulations and require state authorization. Sunday currently has 24 versions of its core product that satisfy these requirements.

Customers are required to purchase a full season or year’s supply to receive regular shipments to their homes. As customers utilize Sunday’s lawn-care products, the company also uses aerial imagery to monitor the condition of their lawns throughout the process.

Sunday’s pricing varies depending on lawn size, but Lewis asserts that it is “considerably less expensive” than engaging a professional lawn care service. “Many newer, consumer-focused businesses tend to target a coastal, millennial demographic,” he stated. “However, we are concentrating on the approximately 90 million Americans, where the…average household income is $65,000.”

Notably, Sunday reports that its customer base is relatively young, falling between 30 and 40 years of age, and is concentrated in states in the Midwest (where lawns are more prevalent). This age group aligns with new families relocating to the suburbs and first-time homeowners. The majority of its customers maintain smaller suburban lawns.

When questioned about expanding to golf courses or pursuing a B2B strategy, Lewis indicated that “it’s something we consider frequently.” The company is currently exploring partnerships with parks to facilitate the removal of harmful pesticides from public areas, though these discussions are still in the preliminary phases.

The limited innovation in the lawn care sector may also reflect a perceived lack of consumer interest. A significant challenge for Sunday upon its launch in 2019 was determining whether it could persuade consumers to prioritize the care of their lawns.

Lewis also notes that the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend of families moving from cities to suburban areas. Census data indicates that homeownership has reached a 12-year high. This year, Sunday is projected to achieve revenue eight times greater than it did in 2019, when it was already generating “millions in revenue.” Lewis did not disclose profitability figures or confirm whether Sunday is currently profitable.

Regardless, venture capitalists appear optimistic about a company offering an alternative approach to lawn care.

Today, Sunday announced that it has secured $19 million in Series B funding, led by Sequoia Capital, with contributions from Tusk Ventures and Forerunner Ventures. This funding round also adds Stephanie Zhan, a partner at Sequoia Capital, to the board.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Zhan compared Sunday to other Sequoia portfolio companies like Glossier, DoorDash, Instacart and Noom, expressing her belief that “Sunday has a comparable opportunity to establish a growing consumer subscription business and a leading brand in the outdoor homecare market.”

The new capital will enable Sunday to expand its 40-person team by adding 30 new employees. Currently, the company has only one female executive, although Lewis states they are dedicated to building a more diverse workforce.

Serving the typical American household requires significant investment, and with this new financing, Sunday now has a total of $28 million in venture funding to support, at the very least, the care of your backyard.